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Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
Blackbody calibration sources of high accuracy for a spaceborne infrared instrument: the Along Track Scanning
Abstract:
We describe the two 140-mm-aperture simulated blackbody sources used for the on-board calibration of the Along Track Scanning Radiometer, a spaceborne thermal infrared instrument for the accurate remote sensing of sea surface temperature, in operation since 1991. The design of these spaceborne sources, which operate at ≈ -10 °C and ≈ +30 °C, allows them to meet their unprecedented accuracy goal, namely a 3σ uncertainty in their brightness temperature of <0.1 K for the whole mission. This performance is empirically demonstrated in the laboratory and in flight by long-term temperature readout tests, temperature uniformity measurements, and direct emissivity measurements.
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